Work on ergot alkaloids will be continued mainly in two directions. Studies on the biosynthesis of the ergot alkaloids will emphasize clarifying a few of the remaining steps in the pathway of their formation: isolating, purifying and studying the properties of key enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of the alkaloids and their precursors and studying the regulation of this biosynthetic pathway at the cellular and at the enzymatic level. The main objective is to provide fundamental information which will help in the design and improvement of fermentation procedures for the production of ergot alkaloids and other secondary metabolites. Secondly, we will continue to provide compounds in the ergot alkaloid series for pharmacological testing with the objective of finding more potent and long-lasting prolactin inhibitors, which would be useful as potential mammary tumor inhibitors. BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES: H. G. Floss, "Biosynthesis of Ergot Alkaloids and Related Compounds", Tetrahedron, 32, 873 (1976). V. M. Krupinski, J. E. Robbers, H. G. Floss, "Physiological Studies on Ergot: Induction of Alkaloid Synthesis by Tryptophan at the Enzymatic Level", J. Bacteriol. 125, 158 (1976).